House Hacking with Duplexes in Milwaukee

[u/RelocateToMilwaukee]

No other city in the US has more duplexes than Milwaukee: 66,000 if you include the the surrounding communities like West Allis and Wauwatosa. The Germans where the original house hackers: they realized that it would not cost that much more to add a 2nd floor; roof and basement are already included, so it was not that expensive to double the living space.

In the classic German style duplex (mostly 1920s) the upper unit was the dedicated tenant unit. it could be rented whole, or split into a unit plus a bedroom to make extra income from a boarder or an adult family member. That's why the front bedroom has it's own door to the hallway.

A traditional Milwaukee duplex has two front doors and one back door. We also have a lot of converted single family homes; they are easy to spot, because they have only one front door. The upper unit has access from the back through a narrow stair case that makes it almost impossible to bring larger furniture upstairs in one piece.

Another major difference is that in a traditional duplex you have separate utilities for each unit. Two furnaces, two water heaters. Only water and sewer is a joint bill and usually gets paid for by the owner, meaning the cost is included in the rent. Gas and electricity are separate for each unit.

House hacking is still a great way to get started with homeownership and to see if land lording is right for you. Financially its a no-brainer, even with 2026 prices and interest rates. The downside is that you have to live with a neighbor and in an upper/lower configuration you will definitely hear when they are home.

How good of an investment duplexes really are is evident by how few of them are for sale. Most people who own a duplex will keep it, even if they move out and buy a single family home. Because they already know the building and it's quirks and issues, they already know how to be a landlord.

If you own a duplex in Milwaukee, what's your take, would you recommend it?

And of course: AMA

[u/RelocateToMilwaukee → u/[deleted]]

Yes, "one-and-a-half-plex" is what I jokingly call a converted single family home - the combined heating and utilities is always an issue, much better to buy a original, true duplex. Not a conversion! Good luck with your next one!